


It Begins

by jehall2



Series: Trust No One [3]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Civil War Team Iron Man, Dark Steve Rogers, M/M, M/M implied, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Not Steve Friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:02:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23509588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jehall2/pseuds/jehall2
Summary: Ultron set the Stage, but the Accords was the beginning of something.  It was also the end of something. And Steve Rogers couldn't wait.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Trust No One [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1611712
Comments: 33
Kudos: 309





	1. It Begins

For anyone watching (and Zemo was at this point), it was an interesting dynamic. There was much more going on here than he had first anticipated. Stark’s gloriously expressive eyes were glued to the video, his chest beginning to heave with repressed emotion. What was more interesting though, was that Captain America was watching Stark’s reaction with a look that was both wary and . . . hungry? That was something that he hadn’t expected. And poor Barnes watched the pair of them like a wild, hunted thing (though that wasn’t really unexpected—the resignation just under the surface of his expression when he glanced at the Captain was interesting, though).

Zemo knew enough of the situation to already know that Captain America defied most people’s expectations, and not in a positive way. He had clearly hidden the Stark murders from the son, but Zemo had initially been sure that it was to protect Barnes, or the Winter Soldier. Zemo wasn’t convinced there was still much of Bucky Barnes left after Hydra’s work. Yet, Barnes seemed much more wary of his life-long friend at the moment if the subtle twitch of his eye was any sort of tell. He watched, first Stark, and then Rogers in this little stand-off, but he was definitely resigned to some less than ideal fate by this point (also not unexpected). And the video wasn’t even over yet! Zemo smiled a shark-like smile as he began to slip away. He was leaving just as Stark turned to Rogers with a broken look in his eyes—delicious revenge!

**  
“Did you know,” Stark’s chest was heaving and his jaw was tightly clenched. 

Steve thought for a moment about how he wanted this to play out. 

“I didn’t know it was him,” he conceded, but he didn’t bother with any emotion at all at this point. It was too late for that.

“Don’t bullshit me, Rogers,” Stark hissed as he clutched at Steve’s uniform for a moment. Steve had to stifle a grin. Tony was worked up!

“Yes,” and this time he allowed himself a bit of drama. He pushed all of the regret and sorrow that he could muster into his unnaturally blue eyes, and willed Tony to see it. If Tony had been at even half his game, he might have laughed at him. Natasha would have swooned a little and then worked double time to achieve whatever goals Steve might have had. And Bucky shifted from one foot to the other nervously—oh it WAS Bucky. That was clear. The Winter Soldier wouldn’t have known to be nervous. Bucky would always know, though. That was the downside to childhood “friends”.

Stark turned away for a moment, and Steve objectively enjoyed how beautiful he was when he was broken. A man like Stark didn’t stay down long, and the opportunity to see such a thing was rare indeed. Tony turned back and bitch slapped Steve (there really wasn’t another word for it). He was clearly still reacting rather than thinking or he would have blasted Steve’s guts all over the bunker floor.

Bucky didn’t hesitate. He had his gun up in a split second, and that was all it took. The faceplate slammed down, and Iron Man, Captain America, and the Winter Soldier entered the fray.

**  
Zemo had just made it outside into the snow when the fighting began. King T’Challa crept up behind him, though he clearly wasn’t trying to be stealthy—only catlike, Zemo supposed.

“Will you come quietly.”

“Yes,” Zemo shrugged. He had originally intended to commit suicide rather than allow himself to be taken, but he had to admit it to himself . . . certain, inconsistencies, troubled him. He wanted to see how things were going to play out between Stark and Captain America. Captain America in particular was hiding something spectacularly unexpected. Zemo knew that he was good at recognizing these sorts of things. The Black Widow was a child compared to what he was able to see. He wouldn’t get much by way of information where he would be going, but he had ways around that. It might be worth it in the end. He loved a bit of chaos.


	2. Waking Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh crap.

Tony woke to incredible pain. Oddly, the pain was mostly in his head and his limbs, while his chest (which should hurt more than anything else after Steve rammed that damn shield into it) was completely numb. He blinked his eyes slowly, then stretched his fingers. It was at this point that he realized his wrists were bound to the bed—a hospital bed.

“Tony.”

Tony looked over and saw Steve, sitting by his bedside like a lover of all things. 

“What are you doing,” Tony asked incredulously.

Steve laughed, but it was wet sounding for a moment.

“Things got out of hand back there. You had me worried, but some things never change. You are always a surprise, Tony. Zero to a hundred in seconds, huh. Don’t even ask where you are. You just jump right in,” he said with a smile, and then ran his fingers through Tony’s hair, again, like a lover. Tony was completely baffled.

“OK—so, it’s obvious that I’m in a hospital bed. And I’m strapped in to prevent damage upon waking,” he stated, but it was a question as well.

“Oh, something like that,” Steve smirked. “You are in a hospital bed, but let’s not quibble. I’d have you strapped down regardless,” and Steve tightened his fingers into a hold on Tony’s hair.

Tony’s eyes widened, not in pain, he had too much pain tolerance. And, to be frank, the sheer number of kinks he had meant hair pulling barely registered, but he and Steve had danced around the chemistry between the two of them for years without any inclination that either would ever act on it. He wasn’t even inclined to act on it even though Steve was clearly a prime specimen. He was determined to get Pepper back, after all. When had they moved to this?

“Uh, I think I missed something,” Tony said, strained. Steve finally let go and then sat back in his chair, crossing his legs. He looked more like a dignified, political general than a soldier at the moment.

“Things have changed, and quickly. I had to act with more haste due to—things,” he said with a wave of his hand. “While I’ve always loved this little dance of ours, Tony, it’s time to collect.”

“What does that mean,” Tony said. He was still a bit fuzzy, and couldn’t really grasp this Steve, a Steve without all of his “aww-shucks” masks on. He had the fleeting thought that he wished Wilson could see his Captain now. “We’re not in Wakanda, are we,” Tony asked, turning his head to take in his surroundings.

“No. Oh, his highness offered, of course. Guilt is interesting isn’t it? He was so upset that he had wrongfully chased Bucky, that he offered all of his support to Bucky, me, and the incarcerated Avengers immediately. I had originally intended to take him up on that, but, again,--things. He didn’t seem all that concerned about Howard and Maria, though,” Steve said with a mock frown at Tony.

Tony tried to wave his hand, and frowned in irritation at the restraint that held it down.

“He’s hardly the first hypocrite I’ve ever met. It’s a requirement for royalty, I suppose,” Tony said without any real thought.

Steve laughed again.

“Oh, Tony. No concern for Howard,” he asked with a pout.

“Howard brought that on himself,” Tony said fiercely. “I couldn’t care less about Howard!”

Steve sat up and, strangely, gripped Tony’s hand with a care that Tony found odd. It felt real. Tony had known for some time just how fake the good Captain was. Wanda was practically a neon sign that he didn’t know how the others, especially Natasha, was able to miss. Sure he was a genius, but that was just stupid!

“Mothers are special, aren’t they? They’re something else entirely,” Steve said softly.

Tony quirked his eyebrow and then frowned again.

“Are you being . . . is this for real? Are you being earnest right now,” Tony asked, sounding truly lost. What world had he woken up to?

“I think we’ve established some time ago that you are the only one that I’ve bothered being “real” with, Tony. It’s what makes you special. There just isn’t anyone else that can keep up. And that leads us here,” Steve said, leaning back once more.

Tony tensed. He didn’t like where this was going. He could tell something wasn’t right, but he was still too out of it from whatever drugs he clearly had pumping through his system to fully comprehend it.

“Where are we, Steve,” Tony whispered. He felt like the answer to that question was the important one. There should have only been one place for Steve to go after the Accords debacle.

“You’ve caught on, haven’t you sweetheart,” Steve said with a wink before he leaned forward and stroked Tony’s cheek. “If you had fought by my side against the Accords, we could have pushed this back a bit, but that’s alright. I’ve been ready to collect my prize for some time now.”

“What prize,” Tony asked, his tension rising. He definitely didn’t like where this was going.

“Tony, don’t be coy. That’s not really your style, is it? You see, when I came out of the ice, Nick wasn’t the only one that approached me. There were . . . others . . . as well. I had to make a choice. 

Natasha’s little report on you is what sealed the deal, actually. I knew when I saw you that I wanted you. You are the most amazing thing this time has to offer. Oh, Tchalla and Wakanda are useful and, well, elegant, but you are something else. You are exciting Tony. A thrill a minute. And if there’s one thing that I’ve always known, it’s that I need things to keep me on my toes. Once I take power as Supreme Leader, I’ll need something to hold my interest as well.  
That’s you, baby,” he finished with a smile that was too soft to be anything other than creepy in this situation.

“Steve, where are we,” Tony asked again, opting to ignore Steve’s last bomb for something that he actually needed to know.

Steve smirked.

“I’m going to tell you, but it won’t make any difference, Tony. It was fun playing, but this little thing between us only ever had one outcome. Things always come together for Captain America, but that’s not really true for you, is it. Poor baby. You won’t need to worry about that anymore.”

“Steve.”

“Oh, alright. Every villain needs an evil lair, Tony. Welcome to mine,” Steve said with a wave of his hand. It was at that point that Tony focused in on the small insignia on Steve’s black, tactical gear.

“I’ll fight you,” Tony whispered, his eyes looking panicked and his breath starting to get short—because he might have guessed a bit about Steve, but he had never expected this. This changed things.

“Oh, sweetheart. That’s why it always had to be you. I want you to fight me, baby. I need you to fight me. And Tony . . . hail Hydra,” Steve whispered in his ear.


End file.
